Unfortunately you can’t buy a sound card for your mp3 player. An ipod and itouch have a very poor quality DAC in them that even the most lowest end integrated audio on a computer’s motherboard is better. I would assume the pono would hopefully have a better DAC built into it that is more true to the audio. You are also right that a decent set of headphones or speakers would also help, as most people listen to the audio through the cheap headphones that come with their mp3s players. Then again I guess it really doesn’t matter, as the pono is designed for audiophiles and most people are content with the low bitrate mp3s or streaming services, compared to lossless audio.

Pono has the quality components to pull the detail out of full resolution & hd resolution files, but they have to be stored on the device. The iPhone has the ability to stream full resolution audio (Tidal), but no quality components to really do the format justice. Currently there’s a void in the marketplace for a connected portable device with quality components (I don’t see the external DACs for iPhone/iPod actually being a viable option). If Apple upped it’s hardware game & supported a Tidal app, it could relegate Pono from niche to very niche. But if they integrated connectivity & qualified as a shared device on a wireless plan, & if they could stream in full res/hd res, I think a lot of people could be interested in the device.

This store is actually a huge disappointment for me. The UX is terrible, & the design elements are very dated. You can only search from the main page, & no browse functionality. I realize this is pre-launch, but it seems like they have a very long way to go.

with Wi-Fi entering cars, it’ll be tough, however, their may be a niche and a bit of an audiophile market for them.

Not to mention the Power telecoms and ISP’s and all these servers and stuff have. Sounds like possible risky and dangerous business, knowing how all those guys operate through first hand experience. Cause they will all want everyone streaming as much data as possible over their servers.

i mean, if you own one of those businesses or servers, free music and content is the greatest gold rush of all time… what an amazing thing, oh freedom, share share share, as they just grease grease grease….

making content and music is the wrong thing to be doing these days unless already tenured or born into their family or rich…

but i do totally agree with Neil on quality man, technology is advancing and the Audio just sucks massive balls, its terrible, its downright fucking embarrassing…

Its just a money rape job pumping out shit consumer stuff over and over, everything popping up in your face, buy this do that, new flashy device, steal information, track track track, and aint nothing ever comes back to me or the individual… its the worst time in the history of mankind when it really should be the best…